A Rose Blooms
by wishonastar
Summary: My first ever fanfiction!what I believe happened after Darcy asked for Mr Bennett's permission. Im a hopeless romantic!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Elizabeth ran from her father's study and into the garden, where her betrothed awaited her. 'Betrothed,' she thought to herself, it sounded so very strange; yet wonderful. She rounded the corner of the house and it was there that she saw him. In any other circumstances a laugh would have escaped her mouth at the expression on Darcy's face; but instead Elizabeth was instead stunned into silence. She no longer saw in him the same proud, hateful, insufferable man who had first walked into the Meryton assembly. Instead, she saw in his fine eyes, as she now felt them to be, an overwhelming mixture of love, passion, but in the same instance, the fear of the terrible pain which Mr Bennet's withheld permission might bring.

With this observation came, for Elizabeth, a realisation of the depth of Mr Darcy's feelings for her. Of course, the couple had previously declared their feelings for each other, but the expression in the eyes of her beloved, at the very moment, was something that would remain with Elizabeth for eternity.

Mistaking her silence for the worst possible news, Darcy exclaimed, "No! I. .I shall speak with your father again immediately. I have waited too long for you to be my wife, I refuse to-"

"Please, sir, I apologise if my expression, or my silence, misled you, I have simply realised something. Oh Mr Darcy, I. . ."

"Miss Bennet please, I am indeed eager to hear whatever it is that you wish to share with me but, I do not understand," Darcy paused and prepared himself, "what was your father's answer?"

"Oh well, he gave us his blessing of course, but you must allow me to. . ." Elizabeth was unable to complete her request, as Darcy swept her into his arms, and after clutching her to his chest for a brief moment, claimed her lips with his own.

The couple parted only when necessary to allow air into the lungs; such was the intensity of feeling between the two.

"Elizabeth, you can have no idea of how much joy you have bestowed upon me," said Darcy, eventually, "you are to be forever mine and a greater honour I could not wish for." At this last statement, the breath caught in Elizabeth's throat, due more to the intensity of Fitzwilliam's gaze than the declaration itself.

"Please, Fitzwilliam," Darcy became slightly worried when Elizabeth, for the first time, used his given name, "you must allow me to apologise."

"Apologise? Whatever for? Tears threatened Elizabeth's eyes and her fiancée paled, Elizabeth, please, is something the matter? Are you ill?"

"No, no," began Elizabeth, "it is not _my_ health or _my_ feelings that have suffered. Oh Mr Darcy, to see you standing here, waiting for me, with such love in your eyes, truly overwhelmed me. But with the joy that I felt, knowing that you love me so dearly, as I do you, forced me to realise how cruel I have been, how my words and actions must have wounded you. I realise that I have already apologised for my reaction to your proposal last April, but I now understand how inconsiderate I was toward you during our earlier acquaintance."

Here Elizabeth paused and, not daring to look into those eyes once again, instead turned away from them and continued. "Even after you had declared your feelings for me, I continued to wound you with my support for Wickham and my determined endeavour to dislike you. Oh, how could I ever favour that scoundrel over you?"

"But you did not know him to be a scoundrel at the time."

"Perhaps not, but still, having so abominably abused you in the past, I feel unworthy of your affections now and utterly appalled at the thought of my selfish utterances having inflicted any measure of pain upon the man whom I now love so very dearly."

By this time, tears were freely cascading down Elizabeth's flushed cheeks. Taking her face in his hands, Darcy brushed away her tears. "My darling, you appear to have forgotten the dreadful manner of my own actions and words, which I myself am so very ashamed of now. Please, whatever pain you believe yourself to have caused me, was, I can assure you, wholly deserved and a fitting punishment for my attitude towards you and, indeed, most of society, for at least the past decade, perhaps longer."

"But the knowledge that my carelessness has caused you any amount of pain, great or small, is one I cannot bear. Will you ever be able to forgive me?" sobbed Elizabeth.

"My darling, there is simply nothing to forgive. My own behaviour was inexcusable and the pain your rejection brought was, I would hope, a result of my hostility and arrogance. You did not wound me Elizabeth, any pain I felt was as result of the anger I felt towards myself, after having recommended myself to you so very poorly. My greatest wish was that you would some day be able to view me in a more favourable light. I could only dream of you being able to love me in the way that I love you."

"And I do love you, truly I do," whispered Elizabeth, knowing that her heart did indeed belong to the man now caressing her hand with his own. She then found this hand leading her to a nearby bench, where the two sat in silence for a few moments, hands, as hearts, still connected, until Elizabeth's tears had subsided.

"You are sure then, that you wish to marry such an irrational, deranged woman?" laughed Elizabeth, slightly embarrassed at her sudden display of emotion.

"You are _anything_ but irrational, my dear!" Darcy was also laughing now, "headstrong; perhaps, stubborn; hmm . . . maybe, proud; well. . ."

"I am proud? Ha!" cried Elizabeth.

". .beautiful; yes," Darcy continued, gradually closing the gap between Elizabeth's face and his own, "charming, intelligent, witty, bewitching and utterly lovely . . . most definitely." Darcy almost whispered this last phrase and Elizabeth turned a rather dark shade of crimson at his provocative tone of voice as the lips of the two met; in a kiss that felt as though it could have lasted forever.

"Oh Lizzie," whispered Fitzwilliam as he pulled Elizabeth into his arms. "My dear, beautiful Lizzie," he murmured against her hair.

"That is the first you have used that name for me," said Elizabeth with a slight chuckle.

"And does my lady approve? Or would Miss Bennet be more agreeable?"

"Hmmm. . .well, as we are to be married, and 'Lizzie' sounds so wonderful when it comes from your lips,-" the lady coloured as her eyes unconsciously wandered to the body parts in question, "-then I believe that the name will suffice."

Darcy laughed, 'very well then, you shall always be Lizzie when you are in my arms. I do prefer it, I must confess; I shall be loathe to revert back to Miss Bennet in company – although Mrs Darcy will sound infinitely more pleasing to me."

Elizabeth sighed as she felt her cheeks again growing warm at the tone of the gentleman's voice. "Well, Mr Darcy, as you seem so determined to turn my skin a permanent shade of scarlet; which name would you prefer to come from my lips?"

It was now Mr Darcy's turn to change shade slightly, as he stuttered his reply, "well, ahem. . . I suppose," he laughed, "I believe 'Great Master,' or, 'My Lord,' may be sufficient, dearest."

"Ah, so, even though you listed headstrong and stubborn amongst my attributes, you would still prefer a wife who is weak and submissive? Tell me; am I still then only tolerable in your eyes?"

"Excuse me?"

"I do believe that your exact words were, 'she is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me,' were they not, sir?" This statement was indeed effective in banishing the self-satisfied smile from Darcy's face.

"Ah, so you did hear that? Oh Lizzie, I was merely-" He was interrupted by an infectious peal of laughter from Elizabeth; and he joined her as he realised that she had indeed triumphed in this battle of wits.

"I think," started Elizabeth," that we have both apologised enough in one afternoon; if we continue, we become very much like Mr Collins!" The couple shared another laugh at this, "so come, sir, evade the question no longer; how should I address you?"

"Well in company, I believe that Mr Darcy would be acceptable," Darcy started, rising from the bench and beginning to pace up and down in front of it. "In the presence of close friends and family however, Georgiana prefers to call me Fitzwilliam; so I would suggest that you adopt this term also." Here, Darcy paused and, with his back to the bench, gave a slight smile, very pleased with this little charade. "In other intimate moments however, you may wish to call me-"

"Will," smiled Elizabeth as she reached Darcy and turned him around to face her. In an act of boldness which surprised even her, Lizzie reached up to the face of the man before her, tangled her delicate fingers in the dark curls at the bottom of his neck and lowered his head to hers.

And it was at that moment that time stopped for the two lovers. With a thought of 'damn propriety!' Darcy allowed one arm to snake around Elizabeth's waist, whilst using the other to press her head, and her lips, firmly to him. With a rather similar thought, the young woman pressed herself to him whilst permitting one hand to wander to the alarmingly warm face so delightfully close to her own, whilst the other gripped the strong, firm muscles of his arm.

Completely lost in the kiss, both lovers felt an overwhelming desire to give themselves, body and soul, to each other. Instead, it was left to the gentleman, as he still remained, to break the embrace. Struggling to catch his breath, his thoughts in a manic whirl, the only two words which a once haughty Mr Darcy could summon were, "thank you."

For Fitzwilliam Darcy, of ten thousand a year, the preceding kiss was possibly the most valuable moment of his life. Before then, he had known of Elizabeth's love for him; but he now understood that her feelings were just as true, intense and passionate as his own. What had seemed to the second eldest Miss Bennet to be a simple, although certainly exciting, gesture; was to Mr Darcy a first drop of water to a parched man.

As the sun began to set, the couple found their way back to the garden oak bench and, with Mr Bennet observing from his library window, this, dear reader, is where we shall leave the two lovers talking, laughing and wishing that the day on which the would be married could be the very next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Lizzie bounded down the stairs of Longbourn and out of the main doors. After having already been awake for a number of hours, she was more than eagerly awaiting the arrival of a certain someone. She reached the driveway just as two rather fine horses with two rather handsome riders emerged from the orchard.

With her hair arranged in her favourite style, and wearing a rich blue summer dress trimmed with delicate lace, which perfectly complimented her eyes, Elizabeth felt quite pretty that morning. She was inclined to believe however, that this was less due to her attire, and more to the blush that her new found romance had willingly bestowed upon her cheeks.

After what seemed a lifetime, Misters Bingley and Darcy reached the porch and were greeted by the entire Bennet family, who had joined Lizzie on the steps, much to her annoyance! The two young men greeted their fiancées with a chaste peck on two very warm hands, and then proceed to accompany Jane, Elizabeth and a rather giddy, giggling, Kitty on their walk into Meryton.

Elizabeth, Darcy and Bingley all had hidden motives for this walk however and even innocent Jane had at least a small hope that the two couples might perhaps find their own, different, paths into town. After a short while, Kitty gave her excuses to the group and skipped off to visit Maria Lucas at Lucas Lodge.

Bingley suddenly declared an interest in seeing the view from the top of Oakham Mount and Jane was, of course, most happy to oblige; leaving the newly engaged couple to enjoy the strange sensation of being able to walk along the lane alone, hand in hand.

"Did you sleep well Mr Darcy?" asked Elizabeth in a futile attempt at light conversation.

"Ah, yes, very well." replied Darcy, somewhat awkwardly, "thank you for asking. Oh and I must enquire after your health Miss Bennet, are you quite well?"

Elizabeth then allowed the rather loud chuckle, which she had been attempting to hide, escape, and declared through her laughter, "oh William, are we thus destined to become blithering idiots when in each others company?"

"That would be intolerable, Lizzie, utterly ridiculous!" exclaimed Fitzwilliam, also laughing. "Come, we are alone, we must speak of the matters of our hearts and minds when alone, or I am certain that we shall never be able to speak of anything at all in company."

"You are most certainly right sir. And so, what would you like to share with me this morning?"

"Actually Elizabeth, I was rather hoping that we could both share something this morning," said Darcy as he stopped and turned to face Lizzie. "I feel that you know so much about me, about my past, my life, my home, and indeed, I know enough about you to have no doubt that you are the woman with whom I wish to spend the rest of my life. In the same instance, however, I feel that not knowing the simple, futile things about you, which Bingley can recite at a moment's notice about Jane, means that I am still not worthy of your hand."

"What futile things can these be, to make you feel something so entirely absurd?"

"Well, what is your favourite colour?"

"Blue, most definitely. And you, sir?"

And so the discourse continued, whilst the pair rambled through a rather thick group of trees, alone and really quite content. Some time later, after the subjects of colours, food, books, concertos, songs and even days of the week had been exhausted, a large and conveniently placed log was reached and the two decided to take a slight break from their walk to sit upon it and enjoy the view from the top of Oakham Mount.

They had been rather surprised not to find Jane and Bingley there, but were both silently thankful for the other couple's absence.

After a long, though comfortable silence, Darcy turned to Elizabeth and, taking her hand, said, "you know, I lied to you before."

Stunned at this statement, Elizabeth took a short while to reply to it, 'whatever do you mean?"

"I told you earlier that I had slept well last night. Well, I lied. I hardly slept at all, I was too busy thinking of you, and all that I had to thank you for."

"After everything that you did for my sister, I believe it is I who must express my gratitude."

"Not at all, Lizzie; you have given me all the thanks that I could possibly hope for, by agreeing to marry me. No, you must allow me to thank you for acting as you did and saving me from myself. I was insufferable before I met you, and perhaps more so afterwards! I felt myself beyond helping, had convinced myself that I would never marry; no woman had ever wanted to marry me, rather than the Darcy name. But you, dear Lizzie, forced me to realise that I was hurting those I loved most, and once that realisation had taken place, I knew that once I had you by my side, I would be finally content. You were, well, my angel."

Elizabeth's eyes shone with tears as she laughed, "an angel? I have heard others describe me as many things, but never an angel!"

Darcy smiled at her, and she felt his hand caress her cheek, as his whispered, "my God, you're beautiful."

Attempting, as she was prone to do, to make light of the situation, slightly intimidated still by Darcy's gaze, Elizabeth replied, 'sir, it is a well known fact that when in love, the beauty of one's partner escalates to an almost alarming level. Really, I -"

"Sometimes Lizzie dearest," Fitzwilliam interrupted, "you speak much more than is good for you." This problem he soon remedied, by silencing her with another delicious kiss.

Lost in their own beautiful world, neither of the two had any idea of the news which awaiting Mr Darcy at Netherfield which would surely prevent the lovers from speaking to each other for quite some time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After a large family dinner at Longbourn, rather suspiciously consisting of all of Darcy's favourite dishes, the two gentlemen returned to Netherfield in the early evening. When they arrived, they were met by Bingley's rather flustered housekeeper.

"Please sir, an express has just arrived for Mr Darcy."

"Do you have it madam?" Darcy asked.

"Yes sir," she replied, handing the letter to him.

Darcy quickly scanned its contents and Bingley noticed the colour slowly draining from his friend's face.

"Well? What is it?"

"Georgiana. She is ill. Mrs Reynolds sent for the doctor, he says. . . he says. . ." here Darcy trailed off; unable, due to a mixture off shock or panic, to continue. Instead, he handed Charles the note.

Reading aloud, Bingley explained to his rather bemused housekeeper,

"Mr Darcy, your presence at Pemberley is required urgently. Your younger sister is gravely ill; Doctor Caldwell is concerned that she will not be able to fight her fever. Please come as soon as is possible, sir. She is calling for you. .

Well good God man, what are you waiting for?"

"Elizabeth, I must inform her of my departure." 

"If you trust me to explain to her Darcy, I would gladly do so. You must leave as soon as you are able."

"Of course I trust you! Yes, that would be best; I will however give you a note for her." With that, Darcy hurried to his study, with much regret, scrawled a short note to his beloved and started towards Derbyshire.

When morning came, Lizzie was terribly disappointed to see only one young man riding, or rather galloping, up the path towards Longbourn. She was also rather worried. I t seemed that Elizabeth and Darcy had both been blessed with a lover's intuition; a gift so rare and so precious, that even Fitzwilliam's considerable wealth could not surpass it. this gift meant that Elizabeth felt very ill at ease when receiving only one gentleman on the steps of her home.

Attempting to make light of her angst, Lizzie playfully inquired, "pray tell, Mr Bingley, was Mr Darcy so disturbed by yesterday's grand family reception that he has today chosen the servants' entrance?" Here her smile faded, as she realise that the expression on Mr Bingley's face was not at all playful; indeed, it was quite grave.

"I am afraid, Miss Elizabeth, that I am come alone and with rather sad tidings," taking a deep breath, Bingley continued, "on our arrival at Netherfield yesterday evening, an express was waiting on Mr Darcy. It seems that Miss Georgiana has taken ill and the doctor harbours serious concerns regarding her ability to recover. She has been calling for her brother and so naturally he has rushed to attend to her."

"Naturally," Elizabeth replied all the while struggling to comprehend this dramatic turn of events.

"He was terribly sad at the thought of having to leave without saying goodbye to you, Miss Elizabeth," Bingley solemnly added, barely able to meet Lizzie's eyes, "but he did leave a note in my care which he requested I deliver to you."

He handed her the letter and, bowing, he added, "if you will excuse me, I would very much like to speak with Miss Bennet."

"Of course, I believe Jane is in the library."

And so, Elizabeth was left standing alone, shocked and disappointed, on the steps. She wandered into the orchard and after finding a peaceful spot, began to read Darcy's letter.

'_Dearest Elizabeth,_

_It is with much regret that I write these words, in order to inform you of my return to Pemberley._

_My dear sister has been taken ill and all with her are deeply concerned. I am loathe to leave you at such a time, but I know that you will understand why I must return to Derbyshire._

_I will miss your smile, dearest, as I will miss your hands and your kisses,'_

Elizabeth was glad that Darcy had had the good sense to seal the note, as her cheeks began to turn his favourite shade at the memory of their first kisses,

'_I hope I will not be further from your thoughts than you will be from mine._

_Yours,_

_Fitzwilliam_


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this is just a short one guys!

**Chapter 4**

Three days had passed since Mr Darcy's departure and Elizabeth Bennet was found by her sister Jane wandering amongst the great oaks which adorned Oakham Mount. Wandering was not an unusual activity for Elizabeth to be discovered partaking in, as it had long been her favourite past time, it was strange to find her rambling with her head hung low and a frown upon her face.

"Lizzie!" Jane called to the solemn figure, "Lizzie!"

"Jane! You startled me!" cried the young woman form her place upon a large tree stump.

"I am sorry dearest, only Mama is having one of her fits again. You have been walking since breakfast and when father jested that you might have run to Pemberley after Darcy, she began to fret, as, 'how could Darcy still wish to marry such an irrational, emotional woman?' Oh, Lizzie, I must confess, I was myself a little worried."

Elizabeth laughed at this and proceeded to explain, 'Jane, I do miss Darcy terribly, but I think that the walk to Pemberley would elude even me!" As the two sisters laughed, the younger began to cry.

"Lizzie, darling, what is it?" Lizzie heard her sister ask as she felt a comforting arm across her shoulders.

Between sobs, Elizabeth managed, "I am sorry! It is just that I miss him so much!" With a sympathetic sigh, Jane handed her a handkerchief, I have become do dependant on him that I feel that a piece of me is missing whenever I am unable upon his face and feeling that way. . .well, it frightens me. What am I to do if he ceases to find my stubborn and headstrong nature so endearing? Or if Lady Catherine convinces him that Anne deBourgh would be a more 'suitable' match? I cannot bear to lose him now that he has my heart Jane!"

"Lizzie, Mr Darcy loves you just as you love him and I am entirely convinced that he will never leave your side again! Even for Lady Catherine!"

The mention of Darcy's aunt in such a tone forced a smile to creep onto the tear stained face as the tears ceased. "Oh Jane, love has turned me into an irrational, crying woman! Goodness, next I shall become like Mama and be always calling for my smelling salts!"

"Goodness, Mama! We must return at once Lizzie; it is almost time to dress for dinner! Remember, tonight, we dine at Netherfield!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Georgiana Darcy slept fitfully as her brother, staring out of the windows, sat by her bedside. He wondered as he surveyed the great lake of Pemberley upon which sights Elizabeth looked. These thoughts brought about a sense of longing such as the great Fitzwilliam Darcy had never felt before. He longed to look upon Lizzie's face, to cradle her delicate hand in his. He even missed her stubborn nature and the irresistible fire in her eyes.

"Fitzwilliam?" The bed sheets upon the sleeping form began to crease, as Georgiana awoke. "Is that you?"

Darcy gently guided his sister back onto her pillows as she strained to sit upright. "Yes, I'm here, darling, just lie back now. You know, the doctor says that you will be just fine if you get enough rest."

The previous few days had been terribly difficult for all at Pemberley. Family and staff alike adored Georgiana and her sudden illness had been an unwelcome shock to all. Shortly after her return from France, the young mistress had collapsed when walking with her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and for two days had remained unconscious. From the very moment of his arrival, Darcy had not left her bedside until she awoke on the third morning, her fever broken. The doctor had been called immediately and after a brief examination, he deemed that with sufficient bed rest, Georgiana would be well enough to return to her daily life, and her piano, in a matter of days.

This news had, of course, been welcomed by Darcy, but now, no longer full with concern for his sister, his mind was focussed solely on the longing he felt for his Elizabeth. He glanced briefly at the nightstand beside him and the letter which he had just minutes before completed and sealed. The letter was to be sent by express immediately to Longbourn.

The slender figure in the bed gazed at her brother and asked, 'you miss her terribly, don't you?"

"yes," Darcy answered simply, smiling at his sister's perceptiveness.

"How did she react to your departure?"

"I am afraid, sister dear, that I do not know. I was forced to inform Elizabeth of your illness by a note which Bingley kindly delivered. . ."

"Fitzwilliam Darcy! How could you leave without saying goodbye in person? Poor Miss Elizabeth, she must have been devastated! And how lonely she will be! Oh Fitzwilliam, you must return to Netherfield at once, I cannot bear to be responsible for keeping such a distance between the two of you."

"And I cannot bear to leave you here when you are still ill," Georgiana tried to speak here, but Darcy continued, "I intend to have this letter delivered by express to Miss Elizabeth immediately – it explains why I must stay just a little longer. She will understand, I am sure."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was struggling to understand Caroline Bingley's intentions. Miss Bingley no longer seemed irritated by the younger Miss Bennett's presence; she rather seemed to welcome it. However, this pleasant façade began to fade, as Miss Bingley decided that she would take advantage of Mr Darcy's absence.

"Eliza, do tell me, have you yet heard anything from our dear Mr Darcy?" The emphasis placed on the word 'our,' was an irony not missed by Elizabeth.

"I am afraid not, Miss Bingley."

"Heavens, three days and still nothing? Well I imagine that dear Georgiana is the one and only person of whom he is thinking at this moment," she said with a concerned tone. Whether or not it was a genuine concern, Elizabeth could not discern. "There will of course, be business matters at Pemberley to which he will have to attend whilst he is there, which I imagine will detain him for at least a month longer," Elizabeth's eyes flew wide open at this. A month!

Bingley laughed, "oh Caroline, I cannot imagine that anything could detain Darcy for so long. I'm sure that Georgiana is already well and Darcy is preparing for his return even now, eager to see Miss Elizabeth."

"Well, we shall see," replied Miss Bingley with a toss of her head.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, Bingley, Jane and the other members of the party decided to take a short stroll about the grounds before dinner. As Mrs Bennett knew of Elizabeth's ill-health, which manifested itself in the form of a slight head cold, she insisted that Darcy's betrothed remained inside the hall, lest the cold should progress and Mr Darcy be forced to return home to an ailing fiancée.

So it was, then, that Elizabeth sought permission to occupy herself in the library, amongst the centuries of novels and encyclopaedias situated there And so it was, that Caroline Bingley returned to the hall, just minutes later, on the pretence of retrieving her shawl. She entered the library and found Miss Elizabeth sat by the east window; not reading the book which she held in her hands, but gazing out onto the park.

"Miss Elizabeth," Caroline called, with a deceivingly warm tone, "there is something which I feel I must share with you, before Mr Darcy's return."

At the mention of Darcy's name, Elizabeth immediately stiffened. She was not at all naïve, and knew exactly how Miss Bingley felt about her brother's closest friend. "Really Miss Bingley?"

"Well you see, Eliza, Mr Darcy had always felt that he could confide in me, as a friend, and before he left. . ." here a false sense of modesty overtook Miss Bingley's ability to continue.

Seeing this, Elizabeth resolved to partake in Caroline's little game, however tiresome it may become, "pray continue, Miss Bingley."

"Oh! I know that his will be the cause of some distress Eliza, but as your friend," here Elizabeth suppressed a laugh, "I feel that I cannot keep it from you any longer." With an overly dramatic sigh, she continued, "after dealing with Wickham and your unfortunate sister, Darcy felt obliged to show you some kindness, as news of the scandal had reached London and your family's reputation is ruined! The only way that Darcy felt he could afford you any kindness, was to make you his fiancée, in order to help you to regain some kind of status. Before he left, however, he confided in me that he now doubted his resolution. Oh, Eliza, I do not believe that he intends to go through with the wedding! Georgiana is not at all ill; it was simply an excuse to remove Darcy from Netherfield. But please, do not tell Charles of your knowing this; he is so ashamed that Darcy was able to force him into this! I know that Darcy intended only to help you, and was so convinced that you felt nothing for him, that he never imagined his actions would cause you any pain. Oh, I just had to tell you the truth before it was too late; I can see how you love him."

Elizabeth was frozen with shock for the most part of Caroline's explanation. When she had finished, however, Elizabeth's pride held back the tears in her eyes, as she lifted her chin and said, "well thank you, Miss Bingley, for telling me the truth. If you will excuse me." With that, Elizabeth hurried from the library and up the staircase, into the bedroom allocated to her for the evening.

There, in an unfamiliar room, on a strange bed, Elizabeth Bennett's pride disappeared, and she cried many tears, heavily laden with pain. Pain and confusion. The looks which she remembered seeing in Darcy's eyes had seemed so genuine; so deep and true. And yet, Miss Bingley's story seemed so plausible, and, coupled with the doubts concerning whether or not she was worthy of Darcy's love, doubts which she thought had been dispelled, it became the truth in Lizzie's mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Mr Darcy,_

_Caroline Bingley has kindly informed me of your good intentions and your true reasons for proposing to marry me. Truly, sir, I am grateful for your kindness towards myself and my family._

_If I may speak truthfully, I find myself unable to be angry with you, despite my anger with my own naivety for believing myself to be worthy of you._

_I am ashamed of many of my actions, of abusing you so abominably, when you were simply attempting to help my family I am not ashamed, however, to admit that I have fallen in love with you; something which I never believed would happen._

_But now, knowing the truth, I cannot allow you to sacrifice your good name, or your good heart any longer. I would like to release you from our engagement and send you with this letter, the ring which you have given me._

_I do not think that I will see you again. I send my sincere wishes for you future health and happiness. _

_Yours, _

_Elizabeth Bennett._

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_My dearest Jane,_

_after receiving news from Caroline Bingley concerning Mr Darcy's true intentions behind marrying me, I feel that I am left with no other option than to leave Longbourn and the county. _

_This may seem terribly dramatic and emotional, but do not worry sister, I will be safe, as I have written to our dear Aunt Gardiner to ask her to await my arrival at t5heir home._

_I am so very sorry to leave you before your wedding, but please remember that I will think of you always. This is not goodbye for ever, just for a while._

_Be happy, my darling, I know of no person who deserves happiness more,_

_All my love, _

_Lizzie xx_

Amidst all of the confusion which had arisen upon Miss Bingley's declaration that Miss Elizabeth had gone missing, just minutes after the party had returned to the hall, Jane Bennett collapsed into a chair and began to weep.

"Jane, darling!" cried Bingley, "what is it?" Taking the note form Jane's hand, Charles informed the rest of the party, rather nervously, that Miss Elizabeth had, it seemed, left for her Aunt's house.

As Bingley demanded to speak to his sister in the library alone, Mrs Bennett began to wail, "Oh my darling Lizzie! Oh Mary, fetch my smelling salts, quickly!"

------------------------------------------------ -----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Elizabeth emptied the contents of her dressing table and armoire into a travelling chest and requested that the old carriage be readied, as she wished to leave immediately. Only the younger and lesser experienced servants and groomsmen were present; all of them too fearful to question the young mistress' actions.

As Longbourn gradually grew smaller and further away, Elizabeth grew ever more fearful. She had no idea of to where she was going; certainly not to the Gardiner's house; as there she would be even closer to Darcy, and there would be too many questions. Neither would she ever contemplate staying with Lydia and Wickham; knowing what a vile man he was.

Elizabeth herself could not comprehend why she felt hat she had to leave her family and home; and yet there was such a strong instinct within her telling her that this was the only way to rid her of the pain that raged through her body. Giving her heart to a man was the only thing that had terrified the unshakable Elizabeth Bennett, and to have it broken at the hands of the same man brought such hurt and shame upon her, that she fled from the life which she knew as her own.

A few hours later, she discovered a solution that seemed possible. She would travel to a large town or city and find work; she would be a governess, perhaps, and rely on the kindness of strangers. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward to instruct the driver to change the direction of their journey.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The supposed deed responsible for breaking Lizzie's heart was of course, entirely fictional, and when Charles Bingley had discovered that his sister was the author of this tale, she was sent from Netherfield, to her sister's home in Scotland. Charles could not bear the look of pain upon his dear Jane's face when he told her of Caroline's betrayal, although it as true that Caroline did feel some regret for what she had done; even she had not suspected that Elizabeth was so much in love.

Mr Bennett was distraught at the loss of his favourite daughter and had written to the Gardiners the following morning, asking them for news of Elizabeth's health and also to ask them to persuade her to return home. The family had together decided that. as Mr Bennett was suffering form a slight head cold, not unlike his daughter, and as Lizzie would be safe with the Gardiners, that there was nothing more to do but wait for news of her.

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Mr Darcy had also been distraught on receipt of Elizabeth's letter and had journeyed to Longbourn as quickly as he possibly could, only to discover that his beloved had gone. After being informed by Charles of the previous evening's events, Darcy began to panic and asked if Elizabeth had not received his earlier express, worried that his lack of communication may have contributed to Lizzie's belief in Caroline's lies.

"It arrived shortly after she left, sir," answered Hill, the housekeeper at Longbourn.

Darcy was simply too anxious to stay for dinner, as Elizabeth still did not know the truth , and he could not bear to think that she was somewhere thinking ill of him.

And so it was, that early that evening, exhausted, but determined to find his love, Darcy once again rode towards Derbyshire, to the Gardiner's estate, alone.

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Just hours later, Darcy was riding along a narrow country lane when he discovered an overturned carriage lying on one side of the path. Startled by the scene, Darcy dismounted and rushed over to the wreckage. It was then that he saw her.

She was a beautiful young woman with a charming face which was now pale and cold. Lying still on the ground, he saw her simple, but pretty dress; suggesting wealth, but not of a high degree. Darcy could see that the young woman was injured, as a trickle of blood stained her cheek.

Darcy gasped, "Lizzie!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Raising the limp figure from the ground, he cradled Lizzie's head in his lap and ran his fingers through her tangled hair. He noticed, however, that the frail body in his arms was still warm. Darcy took hold of her hand, the absence of his mother's engagement ring glaringly obvious to him, and pressed it briefly to his lips before lying Lizzie back onto the path; allowing him to remove his overcoat. Wrapping her in his coat, Darcy contemplated how to lift the two of them onto his horse, as it was clear to him that Lizzie was entirely unable to act for herself at this stage. Whilst thinking, he realised that the destroyed carriage must have had a driver. Checking the area around the carriage, he discovered the lifeless for of one whom he remembered to be the Bennett's most senior groomsman. With all the reverence and dignity possible, Fitzwilliam covered the mangled corpse with a cloak which led near to Elizabeth's trunk; which he promptly began to search in order to discern whether there were any clean, dry clothes which maybe light enough to take with them. Finding nothing light enough, or not torn, Darcy swiftly gathered Elizabeth into his arms and mounted his horse; cradling her against him like a child. Riding with one hand was far from easy, but the aching in his muscles went unnoticed by Darcy as his mind was focussed solely on finding the nearest town, village, or even home, and a doctor to help his Lizzie; whilst his heart was focussed solely on the pain ha had felt at seeing her lying there, as, in that moment, he had believed her dead.

He had unwillingly imagined his life without this woman whom he treasured, and found it to be an empty void, where he saw, felt and heard nothing. Elizabeth had become his vision, his hands, his mind. Darcy had, of course, known for some time that he loved Elizabeth more than anyone and anything in his life. This new level of intimacy and understanding was something which he had never known existed, however, and the discovery of it rendered him unable to think of anything other than Elizabeth's well being.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a manor house in the distance.

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The next morning, Darcy awoke in the same place in which he had fallen asleep. Due to his insistence that he would not leave Lizzie's side, his forehead rested on the side of the bed, in which, lay Elizabeth, who looked to him no less beautiful with her hair tangled and her face bruised. Her hand clasped in his own, Darcy though of the kindness shown to them by the by the owner of the estate, Lord Eastwick, and his wife. The doctor had been called and after a brief examination, had deemed that aside from several broken ribs and many bruises, his main concern was that Elizabeth had fallen into a deep sleep, known in the medical profession as a 'coma', and that the following few days would be critical. There was nothing they cold do but wait.

And so it was that Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy found himself in an unfamiliar county, in a house not his own, praying for a life he valued much more than his own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: Sorry to end this so soon everybody, it's not what I originally had planned but I have really just lost the momentum and the flow with this one and it is stopping me from writing other P + P fanfics so . . Here it goes! Sorry!!! Please don't hate me. **

Fitzwilliam Darcy breathed in the cool morning air and strolled through the gardens of Pemberly to his favourite spot. Today was a special day to him and not at all for happy reasons. He remembered the day that seemed so long ago now, when he had held the hand of the woman he loved and placed a tender kiss on her lips before leaving the unfamiliar room in order to make the necessary arrangements.

He was so thankful that she had awoken that one last time, so that he could tell her the truth behind all the awful lies that she had been told. He smiled as he remembered her happiness.

"_Darling how on earth could you take the word of Caroline Bingley?" _

"_Well, I was just so confused and . .well . . Insecure." _

"_Insecure?" Darcy asked, more puzzled and disturbed than ever. He had vowed to himself that he would spend the rest of his life making sure that the woman he loved was happy and . . .safe. _

"_Yes. Ever since we have been engaged, the little comments that people have made, especially Caroline, well they have just seemed to hurt more than before. I have no idea why and goodness me, I feel like Lydia being so emotional and irrational but I just . . ." she took a deep breath and lowered her head before continuing, "I just don't feel worthy of you." _

_Darcy let out a sigh and seated himself beside her on the bed, taking her into his arms and tilting her face towards his, "My beautiful Lizzie, it is I who is not worthy. I never dreamed that a woman so wonderful as yourself would ever be able to see past my outward façade and offer their love to me. I feel truly blessed." _

_He kissed her with tenderness, reassuring and comforting her in one simple moment. _

"_Really, Lizzie, I never imagined that you would believe Caroline Bingley's words!" he began to laugh, now feeling that she was comfortable enough to stand a little teasing after such irrational behaviour. _

_She joined his laughter with a melodic one of her own, but then suddenly became serious again as he nuzzled his face against her hair. _

"_Fitzwilliam, promise me you will never leave?" _

"_Of course I will never leave you darling." _

"_Oh Will, I love you so, I can only dream that you would love me as much."_

"_Oh I do darling, I do, and I always will." _

"_Always? Really?" _

"_Forever, darling, forever. For as long as the earth turns, for as long as rain falls and the sun shines. For as long as roses will bloom." _

_And he sealed his vow with a kiss, a kiss that would steal a soul. _

_A final kiss. _

Finally he reached his destination and knelt beside the bush that he had planted twenty years beforehand. His knew that his wife would be watching from the window of the great house. She was a pleasant enough woman and he loved her in a way, as he loved his children; but they all knew that each time a rose bloomed, he would think of his Elizabeth and the love that he knew they still shared, in a world far from the cruel one in which we live.

THE END (again, I am so sorry!)


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